The Mentalist EP Spills 'Wedding in Red' Secrets -- Is [Spoiler] No Longer a Red John Suspect?

This Sunday on CBS’ The Mentalist, the CBI team found themselves heading to not just one wedding (to draw out a killer) but a second ceremony, as well (for happier reasons).

Executive producer Daniel Cerone, who penned the episode, spoke with TVLine about giving Wayne Rigsby and Grace Van Pelt (and the couple’s fans) their due, shared one of his favorite scenes and revealed whether, amid all the romance, a Red John suspect got crossed off the list.

WEDDING DAY STRESS? NAH! | “The wedding aspect of the show was the easiest part because it was the most honest part,” Cerone shares. “It’s something that we’ve been building to for a long time, so there were a lot of authentic emotions to explore.” It was all the other stuff going on that made the episode a challenge. “It was a big episode in three aspects. One is the wedding,” he notes. “Two, it’s the first time that we really explore a singular Red John suspect in full detail, and that provides tension. And then of course we have a case.”

GIVING RISGBY/VAN PELT FANS THE BEST GIFT | “The fans deserved a nice payoff, particularly those that have been with the show since the beginning,” Cerone says of the pressure to deliver a great Big Day. “Since the pilot, there was a romantic attraction between Rigsby and Van Pelt, and there have been many, many ups and downs through the years — psychopathic fiancés who ended up with bullets in their heads and baby mamas. It’s been a pretty wild ride for them!”

A ‘CRUSHING’ MOMENT | After causing a young couple’s Napa wedding to be canceled after a guest is murdered, “Jane realizes that to track down the killer he needs to put the wedding back together,” Cerone reviews. “So, being the mentalist that he is, he shoves Van Pelt forward to talk the bride into getting married.” And as Van Pelt recounted for the bride all the hurt and regrets she herself has lived through — while Risgby looked on through the one-way glass — “Amanda [Righetti] just crushed that scene.”

I GET MISTY…. | Everyone cries at weddings, right? Even the cast and crew who watched this relationship blossom over six seasons? “It was really fun to watch [Rigsby’s proposal] because the actors committed to it so fully,” Cerone says. “A lot of times with actors you are trying to find emotions to access to play a scene, but in this case I think both [Righetti and Owain Yeoman] were there, really excited for it and feeling it. Everyone on the set was absolutely rapt.”

HIGH ANXIETY | Can Sheriff McAllister be ruled out as a Red John suspect, having demonstrated he doesn’t actually suffer from vertigo? Or is no one ruled out until someone is proven to be the sinister slayer? “It’s the latter,” Cerone says. “In a certain respect, suspects will fall to the wayside quickly. Some have, and some will continue to. But if they’re still inquiring at the end of an episode, they’re still in part potential suspects.” Next Sunday, Homeland Security agent Robert Kirkland lands in Jane and Lisbon’s crosshairs. As Cerone most simply puts it: “If they’re not dead, they’re alive!”

I am so happy about Rigsby and Van Pelt! I was holding my breath as they were pulling away in the carriage at the end though, certain that it was going to explode or one of them was going to get shot or something equally awful. I’m glad none of that happened! Lol.

I have said that about Van Pelt since she came into it!!!!
I also think it was her that made the phone call to Lisbon to drawn her to the house where RJ was and also cancelled backup /where was back up Lisbon requested ……………And Lorali is not dead THATS for sure !!!!
LOVE this programme,I have been glued from the start.
A little like Columbo i think, ;)
Also BRETT And Bret….Why two of the same name’s? Has RJ just murderd his own son? If Stiles is RJ i mean .
Does anyone know if Patrick Jane’s Dad is still alive?
OH it’s all to much !!!!! lol

You always do the best interviews, Matt. I liked how he talked about balancing all the elements and how the cast all got behind it. That scene with Grace was particularly well-done, I thought. And between Jane looking in on the wedding scene and Lisbon tearing up, I admit I got misty.
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The sheriff is still a suspect, then? Thought so.

I loved that they gave fans the big “payoff” and hope that their happy ever after lasts more than just a few weeks. As far as the sheriff goes, I never really considered him as a top contender to be RJ….until tonight. Now he’s my #1 pick. In an interview, Bruno Heller stated there was a big clue to RJs identity in the season premier, specifically the scene where Partridge is killed. In tonight’s episode the sheriff does/says something that strongly ties into that scene. Maybe what I caught is for the birds, but I don’t think so.

I was trying to phrase that as to not end up with any spoilers, but I guess it can’t be helped. In the scene where Partridge dies everything in the house is pretty dark. The only two things I could see were a “66” in the wall and some pigeons. The question I’ve seen most online has been why didn’t RJ kill Lisbon. I think the sheriff is Red John because he is afraid of pigeons, and that’s what interrupted him with Lisbon.

Oh damn, good theory. Don’t know if you’re on tumblr, but people’ve been cogitating over how pigeons seem to show up in a bunch of scenes (for seemingly no reason but the camera will pan to them). There was an instance in 6×02 when Jane and Lisbon are talking on a park bench and then you see some guy feeding them, and now you have tonight’s ep where the Sheriff was scared by pigeons in the Church. Very curious…

Partridge is Red John. RJ just wanted to take himself off of the suspect list so he faked his death. Lisbon didn’t see anything but Partridge gargling at her. She leaves his body to go searching, he gets up and jumps her from behind, ez. Then an emt wheels a body out under a sheet and says “Yeah, it’s Partridge and I’m totally not a Red John disciple.” I can only assume Jane has figured all this out and is just pretending to still be looking to trap RJ/Partridge, probably sometime around May…

“It was really fun to watch [Rigsby’s proposal] because the actors committed to it so fully”. Well said, both of their performances were so heartfelt and genuine; it was really touching (not just the proposal, but the wedding too).
Hope eventually we’ll get some raw emotional honesty like that from Jane and Lisbon.

I was thinking the same thing after last weeks EP where three of the suspects were in the CBI’s head man’s (can’t remember the character’s name) office and Jane walked in and said the thing about narrowing done the list of Red John suspects just to smoke one of them out. They showed a scene after Jane left of all three concurring about what Jane might know. It made me think that there are multiple Red Johns.

The hunt for Red John has been flat and ho hum. I really hope the show runner will ratchet up the tension. Its one thing to reference Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy as inspiration but entirely different challenge to create the same drama and excitement of that excellent movie. I mean the show has done a terrific job in the previous seasons with Red John but for some reason this season I am not seeing the magic.

as i said earlier, rj is definitely mcallister. we’re in the middle east waiting for the mentalist to air on mbc. i’m just reading the spoilers to keep up with what’s happening. i think the pigeon thing is a big clue, and xander berkely is perfect for red john

I was just thinking to myself: wow. these people must drive like bat crazy fast. Because the Napa Valley is about an hour away from Sacramento, and they’d be cutting back and forth on the scenes as if they were next door to each other. One minute she accepts Wayne’s proposal, the next she’s unboxing her wedding dress, then boom, we’re onto the wedding. Ain’t TV magical?!

I’m still not even convinced Brett Partridge is dead. I mean, we didn’t get an official pronouncement of his death from Lisbon, and I don’t trust any of the random people who might have handled the “body.” I’m not convinced he’s alive either, but I’m remaining open to all possibilities.

The only one I’d be more inclined to rule out is Bret Stiles, since Jane’s therapist described RJ as a “middle-aged man.” I know Stiles was still included in the montage at the end of that episode, but Stiles is definitely not middle-aged, and I can’t help but think it would be too big a plot hole to just overlook.

i think the proposai was beautifuly done and finally they are together. i too thought also something would happen when carriage pulled away but thankfully it didn’t. wondering tho why patrick was not in the room of their wedding he was just looking in doorway he is part of team.

A really wonderful ep. It was nice to see the full circle for Wayne and Grace and Yeoman and Righetti really made it work. Bravo to both of them! I enjoyed learning more about McAllister as we like Jane try to fit the pieces together. The show is on a roll this year.

I’ve loved this season so far! The Red John plot is really great and were getting a lot of Jane and Lisbon working together (which is the best). Looking forward to the rest of the season – should be awesome.

Those were some touching moments. Happy moments! It even saw Patrick Jane teared up a little watching Wayne and Grace sharing precious moments…that actually was quite a treat and heartwarming to see – Jane finally showed his emotions; a happy one at that. Kudos writers! As jovial and as happy this episode was, I just hope that Rigsby and Van Pelt stay happy, and that the writers will leave them alone. What I mean is that I hope the writer don’t kill one of them off just in order to make us hate Red John more. Those two really deserve a happily ever after, albeit in TV land. This was a wonderful episode.

As for the sheriff being off the list…eehh?! (shoulder shrug) I’ll reserve my judgment. I still think it’s none of them on the list. Yes. Some of them might be RJ’s accomplices (such as Agent Kirkland – as in he is just doing RJ’s bidding based on previous episode storylines), but I don’t think that any of the suspects on the list has the gravitas and wickedness, no, make that evilness to be RJ and to do what RJ does.

the wedding like i said was nice but i think there’s more to them both leaving. shows do this to make a storyline at the expense of a star in this case two. it could not be anyone on the list to throw everyone off yes it could be rigsby even vanpelt when she was engaged to that guy she eventualy shot and he was a deciple she changed

It’s to obvious to me that for all these suspectsmight be Red John.. it’s going to be someone we would never even think would be. I think it’s Patrick Jane I think he has played everyone, after all he was a con a one time. My mother thinks I’m wrong but my gut tells me differant

since good old football overflow goodwife and mentalist were an hour late i fell asleep during mentalist no wonder mentalist down in ratings. anyway i still think something up with vanpelt and rigsby. she acting strange and rigsby with his dad relationship and i still don’t think anyone on list!!!!!!